Stripper heels as potted plants may seem like a cheeky gift idea, but they've also got a lot of meaning for the owner of this Etsy shop. The impetus for Rachel Mahlke’s “Giddy Spinster” shop began a number of years ago, when a friend gave her some old pairs of outrageously tall heels that she could no longer use for work as an exotic dancer in San Francisco. There’s certainly a stigma in our culture about the art of stripping, but Mahlke's trying to promote a deeper understanding of the profession. Such high, uncomfortable shoes represent hardships that working women (in all professions) have to endure, and this image gave Mahlke the idea to start using the shoes in a novel way. She began to gather up used heels and refurbish them into bases for plants. She plants cacti and succulents into each shoe, giving the footwear a new life. The planters are available for purchase at Giddy Spinster on Etsy.